Shipping Wars III
by tbehartoo
Summary: Alya v. Adrien Who would be the WORST person to ship with Ladybug?


Alya was waiting at the library table with her phone out as Adrien approached. Their history project had been postponed once again (Thank-you, Hawk-moth), but it had also had a few more requirements tacked on because they had more time to complete it (Thank YOU! Hawkmoth). Marinette had apparently gotten caught near today's lunchtime akuma attack (No, really, THANK YOU, Hawkmoth), but she was ok (Thank you, LADYBUG!) so she was serving some detention time with Ms. Bustier. Adrien had been at a photoshoot all morning so he stayed late to pick up his missed assignments. He and Alya had planned to meet in the library and wait for Marinette before they all went over to Nino's house to finish the project.

"What are you working on Al?" Adrien asked as he sat in the seat next to the obviously occupied girl.

"Oh, Hi Adrien," Alya said as she looked briefly away from her phone. "I'm just editing some video for the Ladyblog." Adrien looked over her shoulder to see what she was doing. "One of the commentators claims that there is 'NOTHING GOING ON BETWEEN LADYBUG AND CHAT NOIR!'," Alya made the air quotes with her fingers as she quietly "yelled" the part in all caps, "And I just want to present my evidence, so that they can see that there is totally something happening between those two." There was something of an evil grin on her face as she continued. "Last night I went through all my footage, and now I've almost finished putting all the times when Chat Noir and Ladybug interact into one video, so all the visitors to my blog can see for themselves what I've seen all along."

"Is that the user that is always talking about Chat Noir and how Ladybug would be nothing without him?" Adrien asked. The username seemed very familiar.

"That's the one," Alya nodded absently.

"The one that always goes on to every thread that praises Ladybug in order to point out what Chat Noir's contributions to taking down the akuma were?"

"Yup."

"That jerk really bugs me," Adrien admitted. "I wish they'd grow up and stop being such an obnoxious twit."

Alya looked up sharply. "Adrien Agreste!" she exclaimed. "That is the first time I have ever heard you disapprove of someone." Adrien winced while mentally preparing to be told that it was not right to say such things. Instead she gave him a pat on the shoulder while saying, "I'm so proud of you! Maybe someday we can get you to say something unkind about Chloe, too, but I'm not holding my breath on that one."

She thrust her phone under the bewildered nose of her companion and said simply, "Observe!"

Adrien watched as moment by moment the scenes and memories he had of being with Ladybug were seamlessly stitched together into one glorious tapestry.

"If you think this is good, just wait till Nino gets done with it," Alya said as she watched Adrien's face studying her masterpiece. "He says he has some music that will make this the romantic movie of the year."

Adrien was still a little stunned.

First not being told off for expressing an opinion and then seeing so much of his Lady smiling at him, well not at him him but still him. It was leaving the poor boy tongue tied and star struck.

"Perfect," he croaked out. He cleared his throat. "It's amazing Alya!" he stopped to look at the smiling Ladybug with her adoring chaton again. "Really." He should probably say more. "It doesn't even need music."

"True," Alya agreed as she looked fondly at the film playing on her phone, "But Nino is really good, and it will be actually be perfect then. I'll just send him this file, and it should be done by the time we get to his house."

They both gazed at the phone for a few minutes more.

"They are so perfect for each other," Alya sighed.

"Yeah," Adrien agreed.

Suddenly Alya snorted.

"What's up Al?" Adrien looked up from the phone. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah I was just remembering something from the other day." When Adrien just looked questioningly she continued. "Mari and I were discussing alternate matches for Ladybug and Mari nearly lost her mind when contemplating the Lady with Chloe."

Adrien laughed. The idea that they had been thinking of other partners for his lady did not sit well with him, but the thought of Ladybug and Chloe teaming up was a little hilarious. He knew that Ladybug seemed to have a little grudge against his blonde haired friend. Suddenly he had an idea.

"Wouldn't it be crazy if there was an akuma that could bond you to the person you _**dis**_ -like most?" he asked. " Like, maybe, someone in an unhappy relationship trying to destroy all the happy relationships around them gets akumatized."

Alya frowned. "You mean, like Dark Cupid?"

"No, he made you hate people instead of loving them, this akuma would just put you with the person that you already dislike," he paused then continued, "or put you with someone that dislikes you...Or maybe both?" He thought for a moment and added, "at least one of you despises the other and it's a relationship of mutual misery." He looked at Alya who nodded to show she understood. "Who do you think you would get stuck with?" he asked.

After a brief pause for thought the brunette said, "I'd rather not answer that."

"Fair enough," Adrien said. "What if Chat got hit? Who would he get put with?" he really wanted to know his friend's opinion on it.

Alya thought for a moment then said with a grin, "Probably the mayor or…. The president of the anti-pun league."

Adrien's face fell, "Is there such a thing?" he asked slightly horrified.

"As the mayor? Yes we've met him before." Alya laughed and added, "You've met him before!"

"Very funny Al, but you know what I meant."

"Is there such a thing as the anti-pun league? No, I just made that up right now. It's called using my imagination," she teased and nudged him with her shoulder.

Adrien smiled. Sometimes he still wasn't sure when she was serious or not.

"Well, what if Ladybug got hit? Who would she get put with?" he asked.

Alya didn't even hesitate before saying, "Hawkmoth."

They looked at each other with a growing sense of horror at her statement.

"No, no, no," she said shaking her head. "I didn't mean that!" she practically shouted earning them a nasty look from the librarian.

"That could never happen," Adrien said in a strangled whisper, a strange urgency in his tone.

Alya grabbed his arm and tried to reassure him, "Chat Noir would cataclysm him so fast he'd never get to lay a finger on Ladybug."

"I would kill him with my bare hands to stop that from happening," he said in an icy voice that frankly scared Alya.

She gave a nervous little laugh. "Ok, that got... dark, so let's pretend that never happened." She looked at Adrien with concern written all over her face. "We are not even mentioning him any more today!" she said firmly.

Adrien had to try to shake the panic that had seized his heart. "Good." He looked down, "I don't think I can stand what would happen if that actually..."

"Agreed" Alya said quickly and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

They both took a moment to breath and calm down.

"So," Alya began, "this was supposed to be funny." They both managed a weak smile before she went on. "Who do we know _**personally**_ that would be a funny miserable partner for Ladybug?"

"I know one person that wouldn't want to be put with Ladybug," Adrien volunteered. "Do you remember Lila?" Alya nodded. "Well Ladybug totally embarassed her in front of me one time," Adrien grimaced at the memory. "She's never talked about the Lady since then and kind of scowls when other people talk about her."

"Yeah, Lila would totally be on team Anti-bug," Alya agreed. "Oooh, speaking of which, what about Chloe? She actually turned into the opposite of Ladybug, right?"

"But that was when she was akumatized," Adrien pointed out." Before that Chloe was totally adoring her she would totally love to be with Ladybug."

Alya shook her head and looked Adrien fulll in the face. "I know you sometimes are lousy at reading body language Adrien, but trust me on this, Ladybug does not really like Chloe. She tolerates her, sure, but Miss Queen Bee Chloe rubs the Bug the wrong way. She would totally be next in line on that list. But maybe not the worst possible candidate."

Alya looked down as her phone gave a short buzz.

"Marinette, says she just left the classroom" Alya read out. "I guess we can get ready to go." Another buzz caught her attention. "Oh, and Nino's finished with the video. He's uploading it right now."

Adrien handed Alya her books as she packed up her bag and stowed her tablet.

"You know," she said slowly, "there might be one more person that we know to put on that not a good fit for Ladybug list."

Really?" he asked surprised. "Who?"

"Marinette!" she said as they both stood up. The sound of their chairs moving masking the sound of the library door closing.

"No way," Adrien said shaking his head. "Marinette is so nice to everyone. She's talented and caring and has a desire for justice to be done. And they're both pretty and smart and strong." He paused thinking of how the two girls matched so well. "Wouldn't that make them like, super perfect partners?"

Alya smiled but started listing her reasoning as they moved toward the door. "But Mari doesn't really seem to like Ladybug that much. Like, she doesn't say she hates her, but whenever I'm doing things with the Ladyblog she doesn't seem to care when it's just about the Lady, but is totally fangirlish over anything with Chat Noir in it. She even started making Chat Noir beanies for Christmas gifts. Oh!" she grabbed Adrien's arm, "Don't tell her I told you that. Act surprised when you get it. You can act surprised can't you?"

Adrien pulled back placed both hands on his heart while wearing an 'O' of surprise.

"Close enough, kid," she said with a smile.

They both pull up short when they got to the door as the girl in question was standing stock still staring at her phone. Alya looked over her shoulder to see what she was fixated on.

"Oh, you're watching our newest video!" she exclaimed delighted. "It's perfect isn't it?"

"Yeah, perfect" was the strangled answer.

"I'm glad you think so," Alya said as she threw an arm around her friend and started to guide her out of the door that Adrien was holding open for them. "Let's get going girl. Nino's waiting for us."

Mari seemed to be struggling for words. "It's, it's amazing Alya." She paused then added, "Really." She walked slowly with Alya keeping her eyes on it. "It doesn't even need the music."


End file.
